A Catholic Pyramid?

Abstract

The pyramid of Merkinė, constructed by Povilas Žėkas in the southern part of Lithuania in 2002, began within the Lithuanian Roman Catholic milieu only to develop years later into an independent religious movement. In this article, I analyze the history and development of the pyramid in light of changes affecting religions in Lithuania during the last twenty-five years of religious liberty. I will examine the binding relationship of religion, nationalism, and resistance in Lithuania as the Pyramid of Merkinė became a place of spiritual pilgrimage, connecting the religious life of Communist and post-Communist Lithuanian society.